System And Method To Deliver Therapy In Presence Of Another Therapy - Patent 8131359

This application relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to systems, devices and methods to control the delivery of therapy.BACKGROUND Different types of therapies can be delivered simultaneously, or near simultaneously, to treat the same condition or to treat different conditions. For example, it possible to deliver both neural stimulation (NS) therapy and cardiac rhythmmanagement (CRM) therapy. Some NS therapy can alter cardiac contractility and excitability. Direct electrical stimulation of parasympathetic nerves can activate the baroreflex, inducing a reduction of sympathetic nerve activity and reducing blood pressure by decreasingvascular resistance. Sympathetic inhibition, as well as parasympathetic activation, have been associated with reduced arrhythmia vulnerability following a myocardial infarction, presumably by increasing collateral perfusion of the acutely ischemicmyocardium and decreasing myocardial damage. Modulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system with neural stimulation has been shown to have positive clinical benefits, such as protecting the myocardium from further remodeling andpredisposition to fatal arrhythmias following a myocardial infarction.SUMMARY Various aspects of the present subject matter relate to a device. In various embodiments, the device comprises at least one port to connect to at least one lead with at least one electrode, stimulator circuitry connected to the at least oneport and adapted to deliver electrical pulses to at least one of the electrodes as part of a first electrical therapy type, and a controller connected to the stimulator circuitry. The controller is adapted to control delivery of the electrical pulsesusing a plurality of parameters for at least one programmed electrical therapy of the first electrical therapy type. The controller is adapted to determine when a therapy of a second electrical therapy type is applied, provide electrical therapy for thefirst electric